Building a teaching career by teaching abroad? (Fiji)

If you are looking to go down the teaching path a TEFL certificate can be very helpful, doesn't have to be too expensive and also doesn't have the same time requirements that something like an MA might. Additionally, wouldn't your fiancée be a good source for job leads in Fiji?

What should I consider to build this career path? What abroad experiences would make me more valuable and what would be just exciting, but not necessarily helpful to a future teaching career? To be honest, unless you are planning a research project while there or unless you want to go into a research field that requires fluency in a language where you might be moving, I don't think this stuff will make you any more/less attractive to a PhD program in the fields you are describing. PhD programs don't care about your extracurriculars or your well-roundedness the way that undergrad schools do: they want to know if you can write a good paper, have good research skills, and have a specific goal in mind for your PhD work. "Living in other cultures" will not be a specific positive point on a PhD application unless you can say "I lived in Fiji and took steps (x y and z) to further my education about Fijian culture/religious rites/whatever, which I hope to expand on in your program.." Not to say that this would make you LESS likely to get into PhD programs - but I don't think it would add to your application in those fields, either.

Having a teaching background would be helpful if you ultimately wanted to teach something at the K-12 level. I realize this is slightly off topic, but I thought it was important: as for becoming a professor, if you are open to different fields, I highly recommend that you look at the rate of current and projected vacancies for each field. Some fields are filled to the brim with PHDs; others are begging for professors. The reason I bring this is up, is that if you really want to make yourself a viable candidate for a PHD program, you should (1) start reading up in your field of choice (2) try to take on research/projects/whatever that are related to your field. This will lay the groundwork for your career as both a student and a professor. There are tons of teaching English abroad jobs. Another thing you should consider doing, besides looking at jobs in Fiji, is look at jobs in places that are somewhat near Fiji. (I do realize the geography of that part of the world, but being eight hours apart by flight vs. being 22 hours apart by flight is going to be a significant difference. Plus, it will also be cheaper to visit her.) I recommend checking out Dave's ESL Cafe and Jobs Abroad for job openings. I've had good luck with both of them. I would also reach out to your network and your university and see if they have any connections. Good luck!

You've selected a couple of tough countries to find English teaching work in. Since Fijians mostly speak English as a first language, there is not going to be much demand for foreign English teachers. Having said that, if you're on the ground, have local contacts, are presentable and prepared to work hard at looking for a job, you might be able to find something that will pay the rent. What does your fiancée say about the possibility of finding work there? Also, did you read http://ask.metafilter.com/190023/Starting-a-Business-in-Pacific-Paradise-Tips-and-Pitfalls? Sadly, a similar problem applies to India; there are over 100 million English speakers there, so your ability to speak the language doesn't guarantee you a job. I do know of some trainers working with local teachers to improve their skills, but that's not a job you can do until you've got a lot of experience and qualifications. I've also heard that there are some jobs training call centre / tech support workers to sound 'less Indian', but again they are probably looking for teachers with a strong background in pronunciation work. If I'm reading your question right, there also seems to be a big money problem. You say you have enough for the flights to and from Fiji, but no more. You are also going to need money to fly your fiancée to the USA, to fly both of you to and from India, to pay for your teaching certification etc. Where is that going to come from? I don't know a great deal about teaching careers in the USA, but it's rare that TEFL experience provides a strong foundation for any work in one's home country other than low-paid English tutoring. A friend of mine went from TEFL into a decent job in further education in the UK, but she already had a strong professional background in a different field and her EFL school provided a lot of on-the-job training. So it doesn't really seem like teaching English helps much with either your short-term (live in Fiji) or long-term (provide a background for a teaching career in the USA) goals. If you and your fiancée are willing to live in another country where there is a stronger demand for EFL teachers, you could live together there, but that will mean additional airfares, might well be tough for her and, unless you can afford a qualification, it won't do a lot for you long-term. I can tell you from experience that TEFL/TESL etc etc is not a career, it's a lifestyle. If you're talking about getting into EFL with the idea of returning to your home country with good job prospects a couple of years later, then I agree that career path is a hard one to pull off. And, since that's pretty much what the OP is asking about, it's good advice. However, I can't let the blanket 'TEFL is not a career' assertion pass. For me, it's been an excellent career and, of the colleagues I met on my first day in my first job in TEFL over a decade ago, I am still in touch with four. One is a successful EFL author and teacher trainer, another a school manager / teacher trainer, another a senior manager in an international organisation and the last an EFL consultant. I'm not claiming this is the norm for TEFL teachers and certainly the majority of people are doing it short-term to see the world or pay off debts. However, if someone is prepared to work hard and be flexible wrt location for the sake of professional advancement, it can absolutely be a career.